Former Jumbo CEO will be prosecuted for corruption in sponsorship fraud scandal
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) will push forward with its case against Frits van Eerd on allegations of corruption and forgery. The 57-year-old was ousted as the CEO of supermarket chain Jumbo, his family's business, after his arrest in September 2022.
He was one of several individual linked to a money laundering and fraud investigation that also involved the company's extensive sports sponsorships. The investigation into Van Eerd's involvement is still ongoing, but the OM said it is clear he will be prosecuted. He may also be prosecuted on money laundering charges once the investigation is completed, the OM wrote in an update on Tuesday.
The prime suspect in the case, Theo E., will also be prosecuted for orchestrating tax fraud using his registered legal entity. "He is also suspected of committing non-official corruption and forgery. His legal entity is also being prosecuted because of the tax fraud," the OM said.
E., now 59 years of age, was first taken into custody while he was motorcycle racing team manager. He previously ran the Jumbo TvE MX motocross team. His home in Aa en Hunze, Drenthe, was one of several locations searched across Drenthe, Groningen and Noord-Brabant. Van Eerd's home in Bernheze and Jumbo's headquarters were also rumored to have been raided.
The first hearings in the case will be held on September 16. The OM previously alleged money laundering through motocross sponsorship contracts, real estate deals, the automotive trade and seemingly random, unexplained cash deposits. The OM also investigated VAT fraud within the automotive sector.
It was rumored that millions of euros in cash were recovered, including hundreds of thousands of euros found in Van Eerd's home. Through his legal representation, he said that the money found in his home was proven to be legitimate.
Van Eerd's attorneys, Robbert Jonk and Carlijn Nieuwenhuis, said in a response to the OM's statement that they were displeased by the extended amount of time it took to be notified of the official charges against the former CEO. After his arrest, he was interrogated again in March 2023, and it wasn't until September that he was suspected of corruption and forgery.
"This came as a surprise. After all, this is a completely different allegation than the suspicion of money laundering and forgery," the attorneys said, considering that was the reason of the initial arrest and follow-up interrogation. The attorneys also said their client would not take a plea agreement that suggested in anyway he was guilty.
"The client has therefore chosen not to agree to a proposal for an extrajudicial settlement, with the result that the Public Prosecution Service will summon the client. The client will make his perspective on the suspicions clear to the Court, and he has every confidence it will lead to a positive outcome for him."
A total of eight people were arrested in the case in September 2022, and another person was folded into the investigation a few months later. Aside from Van Eerd and E., investigators took two women into custody in Gasteren, who were 57 and 48 at the time. They also arrested a 50-year-old woman from Assen, a 33-year-old man and a 46-year-old man from Assen and a 68-year-old man from Rosmalen.
Prosecutors said they will offer a plea deal to four suspects accused of forgery. They will get a shot at a deal because their roles in the scheme were "considerably smaller." The other three suspects were cleared of suspicion. They have not yet been notified of their status, but will be informed within a week.
As a result of the case, Jumbo terminated most of its sports sponsorship deals. It cut off its backing of Formula 1 star Max Verstappen, and ended the financial support for the Jumbo-Visma cycling team.
